Said metzner as



. June 2, 1931. SHERMAN ET AL I 1,807,604

MANIFOLDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1927 4 Sheer.s-Sh eet- 2 i I V ENTOR. BY 4 June 2, 1931. J. SHERMAN ETAL MANIFOLDING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1927 4 sheets sheet s OOOOOOO A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 2, 1931 PATENT OFFICE 301m 9. SHERMAN m) ALBERT w. murznnn, or DAYTON,

OHIO; SAID METZNER AS- SIGNOB, TO SAID JOHN Q. SHERMAN MANIFOLDING APPARATUS Application filed November 23, 1927. Serial No. 285,282.

Our invention relates to apparatus for maintalnlng systems 1n buslness accountlng wherein a large number of accounts, as for example, in a system of stock records, can. be kept in connection with devices for making and issuing plural copies of suitable orders, bills, entries, shop records and the like.

The invention consists generally in the provision of a system of visible records,

whereby pages or cards can be made readily available, as on a special type of table, together with tracks or a movable support of some type co-operative with the table, and a manifolding machine arranged in a position for making entries and moving along the support so as to be in juxtaposition with the particular portion of the visible records which it is desired to employ in making issued bills, orders, or the like.

In this connection it is also our object to provide for means in connection with the manifolding operation to secure a series of v manifolded slips together prior to their be ing removed from the machine, and thus permitted to get out of alignment. We prefer in this connection to employ a grommeting machine which will secure together a series of paper slips. On the bottom of the series will be a slip which is stiff and suitable as a card to be attached to a shipment of goods and the like. The grommet in such a. case will receive a string or wire to tie the cardin place, after the paper slips have been torn away.

We show in the drawings, and will describe in full in the following specification a typical installation employing our improvement, as an illustration of the novel structure and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter claimed as our invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a structure embodying our invention. Figure 2 is a view on a smaller scale of one of the holder elements more generally illustrated in Figure 1, c

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the structure, partly broken away.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of-the manifolding device and its supports with the record maintaining holders removed.

Figure 5 is a perspective of a typical bundle of manifolded copies issued by the manifolder element of our combination.

Figure 6 shows a modified type of the invention in which the manifolding and grommeting machine is mounted on a track on the floor and traverses the space occupied by an index file mounted on a table.

We have shown in the illustrated embodiment a cabinet formed as a table, having legs 1 and a top; 2; The table has a backwall 3 011 which is mounted a track 4. This track is formed of an inverted strip of channel iron, the outer flange of which serves as the rail. Along the front of the table is a track formed of a piece of double angled iron, presenting the track 5, with the overhanging portion 6, and the base 7 secured to the table.

A frame 8, triangular in cross section, is mounted on the table, said frame presenting a slanting support 9 for the record keeping apparatus. The support 9 has flanges or upstanding strips 10 and 11 along the top and bottom edges thereof, and a series of card holders are mounted in rows along the su port. Such a card holder is illustrated in Figure 2 wherein a metal plate 12 is secured to a rod 13, said rod being arranged to pass through holes or notches in the strips 10 and 11, thereby hinging it in place. The metal plate has any desired type of mechanism therein for holding hingedly therein.

There may be but one long frame 8 or a series of these frames set along the table, and the typeof record card holder is 0pa series of cards 14 t-ional, so far. as our invention is concerned. We provide a manifoldlng machine havmg a frame 15 within which is a chamber 16 for holding a series of webs of paper illustrated at 17. The paper is preferably arranged in a flat folded bundle, using a fairly heavy card as the bottom element. A feed shaft 18 equipped with a handle 19 is used to revolve a pair of feeding sprockets, or pin Wheels 20. There is a Writmg table 21 in the machine, and the frame extends at 7 25, which has its lower edge 26 turned under the overhang of the track plate at the front of the table (Fig. 4) and-mounted on the plate 25 are a pair of rollers 27, which ride on the track. At the back of the machine are one or more metal brackets 28, having ends 29 bent to lie under the channel piece that forms the track.

The writing table of the manifolding machine is at a proper slant or a proper level for writing, and the roller mounting arms -are long enough that the base of the machine clears the record card mounting devices.

Mounted on the rearward pro ect1on of the manifolding machine is an eyeleting machine, or some other type of paper fastener,

We have not shown this machine in detail, as its importance in the combination lies in its spacing away from the issue slot of the machine. We show the eyeleting machine base 29, and the operating handle 30, and the punching dies thereof at 31.

The spacing will be such that when a set of forms has been issued from the machine, and is still held by the feeding devices, and not torn away, the outer edges of the several sheets or cards will lie within the die space ofthe fastener or eyelet machine. The machine may be operated because of this spacing to secure a set of forms tightly and permanently together, before they have come out of alignment. Following the attaching of the papers together, their outer edges are moved out of the machine, and the assembly is then torn off against the mouth of the issue slot. In the illustrated instance the hold-down bar 32 of the manifolding machine provides a knife edge for tearing off.

The result is the bundle of slips or cards secured together, as illustrated in Figure 5. If, as in our preferred system the bottom slip is a card, the bundle may be used for making entries in various departments, either with inserted carbon or without it, and then all but the card will be torn away from the assembly leaving the card, which will have the metal eyelet or grommet in it. A string can then be inserted through the eyelet or some wire or the like, and a good shipping tag is provided.

Our system is very useful in keeping up the stock records in large companies, where clerks each card representing some particular part.

The stock clerk turns over one record card after another to see whether the stock has been depleted and where a card shows a shortage of the particular item carried, a new order is im- 'mediately made out on the register, and the record card marked to show a replenishment order has been issued.

In making out orders they are generally made in triplicate, the third or under card be ing a heavy, tough, paper card. W hen the paper or cards are written on they are usually interleaved with carbon sheets as in an ordinary autographic register. It is important that these forms be held together in registration so that other data can be filled in as the work of supplying new parts progresses. The heavy card copy is used as a shipping label, or it may be used for making parts for shipment. To hold the paper and card board together it is preferable that they be secured together with a dependable eyelet. With the eyelet machine so spaced with relation to the dischar e end of the manifold machine, when the andle of the machine locks indicating that a full len th ticket'has been fed, by pressing down t e handle the eyelet is inserted at the top of the combined tickets. The forms are then pulled away from the eyelet machine and torn off, and they will be securely held together until they are separated for their several purposes.

Although we find an eyelet punch preferable, other mechanism such as a stapling or stitching machine may be used to secure the forms together. The eyelet-merely provides e111 additional functional usage over the stae. g y

In the modification illustrated in Figure 6 we have shown a manifolding and eyelet punching machine mounted on a support which is entirely independent of the index system support. Thus we have shown the table surface 2a supported on legs 1a with a back 3 supporting an upper shelf 33 by means of a bracket 34. On the table surface and shelf are a series of record cards 35 having index cards with tabs 36 extending above the top edge of the record cards. We have not shown any particular system for fastening the cards to the table. We may use the arrangement shown in the other figures or any well known mechanical equivalent for it.

The manifolding machine is mounted on a frame 15a having legs 37 with casterwheels 38. We have shown further the track piece 39 attached to the floor in front of the index and record card support. While a track on which one of the caster wheels rolls is one convenient type of guide any other guiding means may eyelet punching machine will be similar to construction shown in the other figures having the feed shaft 18, handle 19', and releasable stop 24. The writing table 21 has a frame 22 extending beyond the writing opening 23. The eyelet punching machine has an operating handle 30, and a plunger platen 31 which may or may not carry the punchingddies, depending on the type of machine use Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a record system support, a manifolding machine movably mounted to transverse the space occupied byto issue a plurality of record tickets in registry, and means fixedly associated with said machine for securing together record tickets while they remain in registry.

7. In combination, a manifolding machine adapted to issue a plurality of record tickets in registr and means fixedly associated with said mac ine for securing together record tickets while they remain in registry and prior to their detachment from the manifolding machine.

JOHN Q. SHERMAN. ALBERT W. METZNER.

the records on the support, and means as sociated with said manifolding machine for .securing together a plurality of sheets issuing in registry from said manifolding.machine.

2. In combination with a record system support, a manifolding machine movably mounted to transverse the space occupied by the records on the support, and means associated with said manifolding machine for securing together a plurality of sheets issuing in registry from said manifolding machine, said means spaced at such position with relation to the sheets issuing from said manifolding machine as to permit the sheets to be secured together prior to their detachment from said machine, and while they are consequently in complete registry.

3. In combination with a record system support having a series of records arranged along the support, a manifolding machine .slidably mounted to traverse the space occupied by said records. 5

4. In combination with a record support, guiding means, a movable manifolding-machine having a range of movement limited by said guidingmeans, and a paper fastening device movable with said manifolding machine, said device mounted on said manifolding machine.

5. In combination with a record support,

guiding means, a movable manifolding machine having a range of movement limited by said guiding means, and a paper fastening device movable with said manifolding machine, said device mounted on said manifoldprovided with a rolling support, adaptedioo ing machine, and so spaced with relation to the ticket issue space in said manifolding machine as to permit fastening tickets together prior to the detachment of said tickets.

6. In combination, a manifolding machine 

